Mrs. Thompson, Climax Native, Dies ThursdayMrs. Emma Thompson, 77, a native of the Climax area, died Thursday night at Bethesda Nursing Home where she had resided the past three years.Mrs. Thompson, the former Emma Berg, was born Oct. 25, 1890 in Vineland Township. She married Arthur Thompson on May 9, 1914 at Crookston. He died in 1954.Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Orris (Alice) Hegge of Climax and Mrs. Bennie (Ardelle) Orvik of Silver Bay; two sons, Herbert and Morris, both of Portland, Ore.; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Mrs. Karine Thune and Mrs. Helmer (Hannah) Bangen, both of Climax.Mrs. Thompson was a member of the Sand Hill Lutheran Church and the American Lutheran Church Women. She had lived most of her life in the rural Climax area with the exception of a few years when she lived in Eldred before coming to the nursing home.Funeral services are tentatively set or Monday at 2 p.m. at the Sand Hill Lutheran Church.Friends and relatives may call Sunday afternoon and evening at Stenshoel's and at the church Monday before services.

Emma Berg was born October 25, 1890, in Polk County, Minnesota. On May 9, 1914, she was married to Arthur Thompson. Arthur Thompson was born May 15, 1881, in Vineland Township, the son of Peder A. Thompson, one of the early pioneers. Arthur spent his entire life in the same area except for a short time when he had a claim near the Canadian border.Arthur and Emma were both educated in a country school and were baptized and confirmed in the Sand Hill Lutheran Church where they were both active members. When the Sand Hill Luther League was organized in1913, Arthur was the first president. He also served as Sunday School Superintendent. Four children were born to this union: Herbert, Morris, Alice and Ardelle.Arthur was a carpenter and painter by trade and had a small farm with some cattle and chickens. He had the habit of whistling while he worked, sometimes the same tune over and over, to the irritation of his fellow workers. He was a good violinist and he and Hans Berg would often play duets for Luther League. In the evenings at home, he would often play the violin and the dog would sit outside the window and howl an accompaniment. He kept an accurate diary so anytime there was an argument about an event—weather, weddings or a funeral—he would get his diary and settle it.In the summer, the family would sometimes go by boat to Belmont to buy groceries. The old store keeper would usually slip in a bag of candy for the kids.Emma used to churn butter and also make lefse to sell to stores for extra money. She also made wonderful homemade bread. When the kids came home from school and found she had just taken fresh bread out of the oven, they could demolish a loaf in no time at all.Arthur's first car was a Model T. When it was cold in the wintertime, he would jack up the rear wheel and somehow it would start easier.